Born in 1927 and raised on a farm in Chalmers, Indiana, Robert "Bud" Schmitt and his brother, John, demonstrated the kind of ingenuity that fueled America's postwar hot rod movement. Coupling two Knucklehead engines together with a crude assembly of drive chains, they fashioned a long drag bike that became known nationwide as the Monster. They bored each engine out to 80 cubic inches and fed them methanol through four carburetors. By 1953, Schmitt was consistently running close to 130 miles per hour in the quarter-mile at Chicago's Maremont Speedway. In 1954, Schmitt took the Monster to Bonneville, where he completed a one-way run at 157 miles per hour, which exceeded Rollie Free's current record aboard a Vincent. However, due to mechanical problems, Schmitt was never able to complete a two-way run for an official record. Today Schmitt still lives in Chalmers and is working on a book about his motorcycling experiences.